The Story of Rachi
by Zoe Jane Carmina
Summary: The story of Rachi's experiences in Final Fantasy XI Online... Mystery, love, and enchantments await in this dark but comical tale of a young adventurer named Rachi who has just joined the Temple Knights of San d'Oria.
1. Table of Contents

Name: Rachi

Mother: Hinaree

Father: Unknown

Nation: San d'Oria

Back Story:

I-The Departure

II-Family Business

III-The new recruit

IV-The wayside adventurer

V-Adventures in cooking and gardening

VI-Love at last

VII-A fall from grace

VIII-Revelations from a life long lost

IX-Recollections of a happier time


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Departure 

Rachi and her parents lived in the Count's Manor in the southern end of San d'Oria. Even though she was an only child, her parents never paid her much attention. She was very lonely and always looking for any attention her parents would give her. They were always busy though, and wouldn't give her the time of day. It made them feel bad that they couldn't properly care for her, so they would give Rachi limitless amounts of money to spend on anything she pleased. They didn't mind so long as it kept her happy.

But money cannot but love or attention, and Rachi felt the brunt of this fact every day. So when Rachi turned 20, she took her most beloved moogle and only friend on the run with her, along with all of the cash she could muster, and bought her own house for her and her moogle to live in. She also joined the Temple Knights so as to have a steady income in order to make rent and buy the supplies she needed.

With this move, Rachi gained the attention of both of her parents. They were less than amused however, and upon hearing of their daughter's acceptance into the Temple Knights, delievered her an ultimatum: leave the temple knights and return to the manor at once or cut ties...


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Family Business

It was at this point that Rachi decided to do something bold and unexpected. Always a bit of a rebel herself, Rachi decided that she would defy her parents once more and stay with the Temple Knights. This would provide her with all the love and admiration she would ever need, for who could be unloved when she was working to protect her country? Surely the citizens would appreciate her efforts.

As expected, Rachi's parents severed ties, and in an instant she was left poorer than ever and homeless. It took her a few days to adjust to the newfound freedom, but the prospect of gaining fame and fortune within the Temple Knights was very exciting, and she began her preparations immediately.

More than anything else, Rachi wanted to gain fame and fortune in order to prove to her parents and to herself that she was worth paying attention to. But one of her parents would not live to see that day come. Not long after she had left, Rachi's father died of a mysterious illness. Rachi's mother Hinaree blamed the death on her. She spoke at his funeral to all of San d'Oria saying that if Rachi hadn't have had the audacity to defy their wishes, her father would still be alive and well. It was not illness that he died of she proclaimed, but the heartache his daughter gave him after he had given her so much.

After hearing her mother's outrageous speech at the funeral, Rachi became even more determined to make a name of her own. A name so great that even a powerful woman like her mother would take heed of and respect. Rachi wanted there to be no doubts of her greatness. Though notorious she may start, victorious she would end. Thus Rachi redoubled her efforts to become the warrior she knew she could be... 


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The New Recruit 

And so Rachi began her training with the Temple Knights. Many people laughed at the things she had never had to learn to do. Even moreso she was frustrated by the fact that her notorious name and the fact that she's a woman made it virtually impossible to get assistance from anyone at all. Many people shunned her because she was a woman, saying that she was not fit to be a Temple Knight. Because of this, her first few days as a warrior held nothing more than a few solo rabbit hunts that turned out more bruises than yields.

She was at the auction house one day trying to sell a stack of rabbit hides as her funds were rapidly depleting, when she accidentally overheard a conversation between two Elvaan men that immediately caught her attention. They talked openly about a certain guard standing near the exit to East Ronfaure who would give missions that were in the best interest of San d'Oria, and which most long-standing knights were too busy to do. These missions he gave out to any adventurer who wished to prove themselves worthy to their friend, their foes, and to the Kingdom of San d'Oria herself. All she had to do was speak with an Elvaan man named Ambrotien, and he would be able to help her from there.

Rachi memorized their conversation as completely as possible and decided that she would spend the rest of her day in her mog house to regain her strength and tend to her wounds. In the morning she would wake bright and early in order to check out the newly acquired information. Any new leads were better than none after all...


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Changing Winds

Morning dawned bright and early, and Rachi was simply not ready to take on the day. She was tossing and turning all night in order to find a comfortable position to sleep in because of all her scrapes and bruises, and her muscles ached in fatigue. She had been pushing herself to her limits, and this morning it showed. She looked and felt terrible this morning, and she was not looking forward to her meeting with Ambrotien. Somehow the prospect of more scrapes and bruises didn't seem to make her feel any better than she was already feeling.

Slowly she got out of bed, and she talked a bit with her moogle. She was a bit hungry so she ate a bit of breakfast, and got changed into her best gear. She gathered all of the things she needed for the day, and set out of her mog house. She made her way out to the gate that lead to East Ronfaure. In some ways she half-expected Ambrotien not to be there. But there he was, standing a little ways off from the gate, standing exactly where he was supposed to be, and she gave a sigh of relief. Finally something was going right.

Rachi approached Ambrotien. He seemed pleasant enough. She talked with him a while, and with little difficulty attained her first mission: Go out into Ronfaure and slay as many Orcs as she could until she obtained an Orcish axe, and give proof of her loyalty to San d'Oria by bringing it back to him for inspection. He explained that she had time limit, though if she took too long to bring it to him he may forget he gave her the mission because of the sheer number of adventurers who gave up or failed their missions the first time around. This was also why he had to make the first mission a bit of a difficult one, so that he could weed out those who were serious about being a Temple Knight from those whose loyalties lay elsewhere.

Ambrotien was right. The first task- killing multiple Orcs in order to obtain a weapon she knew virtually nothing about-was a daunting one. Especially since the last time she was adventuring alone. An Orcish fodder spotted her from a long way off while she was trying to rest, and nearly killed her while resting. And he would have done too if it hadn't been for the the safety of San d'Oria's walls. Even a rogue Orc knew better than to mess with the might of all San d'Oria.

To Rachi, her mission was positively suicide. She stayed inside for three days afterwards trying to figure out the best plan of attack. There really ws no easy way to do it. She simply had to go out and kill Orcs-lots of them-and hope that she didn't get ganged up on. But if that's what it was going to take, she had to try... 


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Wayside Adventurer

Rachi made her way out to Ronfaure the very next day. She decided to make anearly start of it so that there were less Orcs on the prowl. She had no idea what in the world she was doing. She headed straight out into the woods. There were plenty enough animals there to make a day of it, but they were of no concern to her anymore. She needed to find an Orc who wielded an Orcish axe and slay him as fast as she could so she could get her first mission over with. The first battle is always the hardest.

She ran on at a steady pace till she was far south. It was there that she finally found what she was looking for. He was a big guy, and he was terrifying. Rachi ran up behind him as quickly and stealthily as she could, because she knew the longer she waited the more terrifying he would seem. She smelled his stench as she neared him, and took out her bronze zaghnal and struck him square in the back with it. It was no good. She caught his armor not him, and he turned on the spot, riled that she dared to provoke him so. A fight ensued between them, and minute by minute she felt her strength slowly waning. She tried to tap into one of the special abilities she posessed in order to hit in more critical areas, but it was to no avail because 30 seconds into it her body gave out again. The stubborn Orc was just too strong.

She kept fighting, and just as she began to believe she would die there fighting that Orc and began to despair, something wonderful happened. A lone Elvaan adventurer with a funny hat who was much more weathered than she came along and healed her completely with his magic. He ran off towards the proud city of the Elvaan folk without asking for even a word of thanks. It was only then after her energy was renewed that Rachi was able to land better hits, and finally slice the Orc's head off his shoulders. Thus she obtained his Orcish axe, along with a few other spoils.

She ran back to San d'Oria as fast as her legs could carry her so that when all the Orc's comrades found him and looked to avenge his death she would be far away from the place. She turned in her Orchish axe to Ambrotien with pride, and he gave her a short examining look before accepting it and in turn gave her a second mission to fulfill.

After that, Rachi went to the auction house to see if her stack of rabbit hides had sold. To her pleasant surprise she found that it had, and she felt a bit relieved. The worst part of it all was now over, and she could rest easier tonight knowing that her home was secured for a little while longer. She was so happy that she wanted to share with her moogle all the good news, so she turned around to run there, and nearly knocked the man standing near her over.

Embarrassed, she blushed a little and began to apologize when she realized that the man she had almost knocked over was the same one who had healed her earlier. She was sure of it. He had the same funny little hat. She thanked him profusely for the help back in Ronfaure and asked of him his name. Apparently the helper was named Kioshi, and he was in San d'Oria because he had heard that there was curry powder being sold at the auction house here, and had a craving for some home cooking. He said it wasn't a problem to have helped her at all, and even offered to help her out and train her a bit on one of his days off next week.

Rachi thanked this strange new man many times for his offer, and they arranged a meeting. Then Kioshi left and Rachi went back to her moogle to tell him of all her good news... 


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Adventures in Cooking and Gardening

Rachi spent the next few days in her mog house tending to her wounds and spending time with her moogle. She loved him very much, and though Rachi had taken him on the run with her, she never expected him to be as talented as he really was. He would clean while she was away, cook a meal if she was home, tend to her plants, and even knew a spell to treat her wounds properly so that they would heal completely within a few days.

In the days she spent with him while recuperating, he taught her all there was to know about gardening. Just planting the seeds in the flowerpot were not enough. You had to care for them every day. Rachi discovered that if she gave the plants a water crystal a few days into their growth, they would soon sprout sparkling flowers more beautiful than she had ever seen before. Even in the Chateau there were not many plants the likes of these. Her moogle was talented indeed.

She was also able to pick things off her plants such as chocobo feed and fire crystals, and she could turn a decent profit by selling them at the auction house or in a bazaar. Thus, within a few days, Rachi had found quite a profitable source of income, and was able to hunt down some new recipes for pebble soup and grilled hare which turned out to be quite a delicious change indeed from her norm of roasted corn and carrot broth.

With the positive change in events and the extra cash, Rachi was ready to prepare for her training with Kioshi next week. She bought some Royal Footman▓s gear which she found in the auction house for quite cheap, and also a very nice brass zaghnal which proved much sharper compared to her dinky bronze zaghnal that she had been using. She brought it all home and changed into the new gear immediately. She modeled her new gear for her moogle, and then gave him her old gear to be put into the mog safe. Now Rachi was ready to take on anything┘ 


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Love at Last Rachi got ready quickly. She had woken up later than she should have, and was in a rush to get ready for her day adventuring. She was supposed to meet up with the Elvaan with the funny hat, Kioshi at the beach called the Valkurm Dunes. She had no idea what was in store, nor had she been to the beach before, but she had heard horror stories of what it was like, and was loathe to be there. Although her bathing suit seemed like the most appropriate option given that they were heading out to the beach, Kioshi had told her that they would be training hard, and that she should wear her best adventuring gear.

She asked a passing White Mage to give her a Teleport to the Crag of Holla and used up what was almost the last of her Gil to get there. She loved seeing the La Theine Plateau, but realized after having accidentally dropped into a Goblin camp that she probably should try to avoid dropping in on them if she wanted to stay alive for very long.

After her riff with the Goblins, Rachi made her way swiftly to the Dunes. Immediately she was struck with how hot and bright the place was. A distinct feeling of distaste started growing inside of her, but not wanting to judge a book by its cover, Rachi trudged along, down the sand dunes towards the Outpost. She was hoping beyond hope it was better than everyone made it out to be, but she was slowly starting to get a feeling that they were right.

There were Goblins loitering along the beach everywhere you turned, looking to ambush and mug you whenever you weren t paying attention. Leeches lay in wait in the cool of the trees, preying on the unsuspecting travelers who were looking for a restful reprieve from the sun. In addition, if you were one of the unfortunate ones to have been caught there after sundown, you d be face to face with the most foul of ghouls and bogy creatures alike.

Rachi had heard the stories, and as far as she could tell, they were all too true. She made it out to the Outpost to find Kioshi sitting on the steps waiting. She had no idea how he had got there faster than her, but she guessed he had some kind of item that could get him straight to the outpost. If that were the case, she would have to seriously consider looking into it.

He helped her gather some people and together they made themselves a group. It took a while to get going, but with a little help from a white mage friend of Kioshi s, they were up and running, striking back at those creatures who would threaten the peace and tranquility of a day at the beach. It was a long haul, but by the end of the day, Rachi was stronger and smarter, able to do two jobs at once. Kioshi had noticed how hard she had trained, and told her that her efforts were finally paying off.

Rachi went back to her mog house at the end of the day. She was happy that Kioshi had noticed her, and happier still that she was one step closer to becoming a knight of the land. Was her fateful meeting with the Elvaan in the funny hat the real love she had been searching for all these years? The love that not even her parents could provide? Was this day just a stepping stone in her life to something much, much more? Rachi pondered these things as she slowly drifted off into a peaceful slumber. 


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: A Strange Sage

Rachi was out exploring the beautiful land of Ronfaure one day when she came upon an odd cave in the mountain, surrounded by Orcs. A strange new Elvaan stood near the cave entrance, and though she did not know why, the Orcs in the area would not bother with him. He was tall, with long gray hair, and was clad in some sort of Eastern attire if what she surmised about him was correct. She wanted to find out more about the strange man and the cave, so very slowly and cautiously she made her way towards him.

Even though she tried to sneak around the Orcs, one of the more brutal looking ones spotted her. But Rachi was well prepared for this and she easily took him down. From across the way, another Orc saw his comrade fall, and ran to his aid, casting spells all along the way. By the time he d gotten to Rachi, he d realized to his surprise that his magic had very little effect on her. She smirked as she sliced his head clear off his shoulders in one deft move.

Having seen the commotion, the rest of the Orcs paid her no mind, knowing it would be better to leave her be than to pick a fight and lose. Without further strife, Rachi walked up to the man. She surveyed him a moment before deciding to introduce herself, and though she was unsure of his intentions, she introduced herself to him and asked of him his name and what business he had near this cave.

He smirked ever so slightly at her pointed accusation that he was up to no good as he judged her worth as a fighter. Apparently she was good enough to speak to, and he told her his name was Azrael and his purpose was to assess her capabilities and train her further, based on what she already knew.

Rachi didn t believe him for a second. That is, not until she d heard he was a friend of Kioshi s who lived in San d Oria and whom Kioshi had asked to help her out. Even so, she was still very unsure, seeing that he planned to take her into the heart of Orcish territory. From what intel the San d Orians had gathered, it was an Orcish stronghold called Ghelsba Outpost, and some of the fiercest Orcish warriors lived and trained there.

Rachi didn t relish the thought of going in there, and upon hearing that Kioshi had just handed her off, her mind became muddled with heavy thoughts of having lost Kioshi s love, even before it was gained. If she had really been thinking clearly she would have seen that she d romanticized his help in training her. He was just a nice passer-by who happened to have some spare time.

Abruptly her thoughts were interrupted by Azrael asking if she would take up the challenge and the strenuous task before her. It was said that a little bit of trust went a long way, and if it made her a better warrior in the end she might as well give it a try. After all, she hadn t trained as hard as she had just to lose her nerve at the first sign of trouble.

And so, Rachi ventured into the unknown, right into the heart of enemy lands, and promised herself she would never look back. 


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Warchief Wrecker

It took many days before Rachi was strong enough to infiltrate Ghelsba Outpost clear to the top. Azrael continually pointed out flaws in her fighting technique, and though she hated hearing about them, she knew that listening to his advice would take her to even greater heights.

Rumors had already begun to spread throughout San d Oria of the thinning of the Orcs, and the warrior who d single-handedly penetrated deeper into Ghelsba Outpost than any single man had before. She wondered if any of those rumors were Azrael s doing, but he didn t volunteer that information, and she didn t ask. The point was that people were talking about her, and before long she was sure they d get to know her name. It was only a matter of time.

She thought about these things as she fought her was across miles of Orcish territory, and was on the longest, most rickety bridge she had ever seen before she d realized that as far as she could tell, she was nearing the top of the outpost. If she d kept on going with it, very soon she d be in a completely new area altogether.

Upon crossing the bridge and slaying the two Orcs that were hidden nearby, Rachi crouched cautiously behind a wooden barrier, no doubt erected by the Orcs to keep her out. Rachi had heard oaths from many the dying Orc that their leader, Warchief Vatgit, would surely skin her alive and feast heartily on her flesh. She looked around, trying to spot the brute, but she couldn t spot him anywhere.

There were plenty of other Orcs patrolling the area, and though they seemed to be fairly well spread out, they also traveled in groups of two, patrolling the areas and watching each other s backs. Rachi silently congratulated the Orcs for their good try, but even as strong and as brutish as the Orcs were, Rachi seriously doubted they d be much of a challenge. She d run the length of the Outpost and was barely even tired. So, two by two the Orcs went down, until Rachi was standing on the very edge of the cliff, looking out upon all the land she had conquered.

Suddenly, and without reason, Rachi felt a tingling sensation run the length of her spine. She sensed that she was in great danger, and she knew it would be unwise to turn and see what was there. The light was behind her, and it would blind her the moment she turned around. Her best chance would be to pretend she didn t know she was in danger, and wait for the shadow of the latest Orc to appear on the ground beside her.

It was her luck that Orcs weren t much for throwing their weapons as they were for close combat fights. Because of that, the Orcs became predictable, and that was just as well because it gave her a distance advantage over them. In the few short moments she d had before the Orc s shadow appeared, Rachi quickly went over strategy in her head. She had learned a lot from Azrael, and she knew that this Orc, who must be the renowned Warchief Vatgit, was Azrael s final test for her. He hadn t lead her this far so she could give it all up. At this last thought, Rachi caught a glimpse of the Warchief s shadow approaching, and either the sun was playing tricks on her, or this was about to be the biggest Orc she d ever seen. He was nearly twice the size of a normal Orc if her calculations were correct.

True to his race, the Orc struck down on her hard and fast with his axe. She easily stepped out of the way, and pulled her scythe out as she spun to face him. Obviously confused on how she had known her was there, Warchief Vatgit recovered his composure just in time to parry her first attack. The force behind his parry sent her flying through the air. She knew that even with the reach of her scythe, she was out of range to attack him, and she would have to chance moving closer to hit him.

He laughed heartily at her first attempt, and Rachi thought it the perfect opportunity to make another move. So quick as a fox, she ran to him and made her second set of attacks. She was doing spike damage to him, but because she took so long to swing her weapon, she didn t do much damage over time. She thought about how disappointed she would be if this Orc managed to defeat her, and how everyone would laugh in her face if she tried to do anything like this again. She couldn t give up. Not now. Not when she was one Orc away from glory.

These thoughts upset her so much that she went berserk. Her attacks were much more powerful, though she felt his attacks much more as well. She honed in on his fighting style, and, after skirting yet another powerful blow, slammed her scythe as hard as she could into his side. A shadow of darkness overcame the Orc, but she knew even before the shadow had cleared that she had won.

Azrael watched her fall to her knees from the spot he had chosen to assess her from. In her injured state, it was going to be hard work to get her down. He gave her a few potions, and some Selbina milk, and Rachi rested a while before they headed back to town. Already the news had spread, and they cheered her and called her the Warchief Wreaker. Azrael helped her back to her mog house where her Moogle was anxiously awaiting her arrival. He knew her Moogle was competent enough to take care of her, but before he let her sleep, he gave her a warning defeating the Warchief was just the beginning. The real fight was yet to come.

Rachi pondered his words even as he left her home. She didn t know what he meant, or how long it would be until she saw him again, but she would continue to grow stronger until that day came. And then she would see what it was he had in store. 


End file.
